Jesus Defeats Satan!

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 4, published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. You can watch it here.

Video Reading Luke Chapter 4

Jesus is Lord!

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Adam fell to the temptation of evil but Jesus triumphs over evil. It's a wonderful chapter that shows us that Satan has no power over Jesus. His evil temptations were too much for Adam but Jesus is incorruptible and triumphant. Jesus is our Lord and He defeats Satan for us! When Adam fell against Satan, we all fell with him.

I noticed that after defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus goes on to remove him from people and to silence him. Satan has had his opportunity to speak and now is silenced upon the command of the triumphant Jesus.

Let's jump into the published commentary to learn more.

Enduring Word Commentary

I've mentioned the comparisons between Adam and Jesus who were both tempted. This commentary points out that Adam was in Paradise when tempted but that Jesus was in the harshest of places. I was humbled to ponder that this is another example of Christ suffering on our behalf. I'm reminded that Jesus is fully human, He felt the pain of hunger.

i. There are parallels with the way that Jesus was tested and the way that Adam was tested; but Adam faced his temptation in the most favorable circumstances imaginable, and Jesus faced His temptations in bad and severe circumstances.

Jesus was in the wilderness having fasted for 40 days. He was hungry and tired. I know from personal experience how much more difficult it is to resist temptation when I am tired and hungry. I'm fairly level tempered under normal circumstances but if I'm hungry, cold or tired I can find myself regretting that I snap at people.

The commentary points out that Jesus was not merely hungry but on the point of starvation. Medically speaking, Jesus would have been experiencing starvation. This would mean Jesus was incredibly weak physically.

i. The fact that Luke the physician noted that afterward… He was hungry is important. After such a long fast, renewed hunger often points to a critical need for food. Jesus was beginning to starve to death.

Further to these truths, the commentator reminds us that Jesus, though starving was full of the Spirit! I'm reminded that the first thing to do when I am faced with discomfort or suffering of any kind is pray. I have access to the Holy Spirit because of my Lord Jesus!

ii. Jesus was hungry, but full of the Spirit. We are sometimes just the opposite – full stomachs and empty spirits.

I think it's marvellous to remember how Jesus dealt with the temptations He faced. He was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The same Spirit that is in us as faithful believers. Jesus answered every temptation with the Word of God. The commentator makes an important point about how vital it is that we equip ourselves with God's Word so that we have the armour to fight temptation. It's the truth that without scripture, we wouldn't have a clue about what is either right or wrong. God's Word instructs us. It explains what God considers good, bad, right or wrong.

How would we recognise an evil temptation unless we were familiar with God's Word? We can't resist what we don't see. To lack understanding of God's Will is literally like wearing a blindfold through life. We are going to fall into all kinds of traps. We have the Holy Spirit on hand and ready to give us strength but it's so easy to miss an opportunity to call out for the help we need.

ii. We effectively resist temptation in the same way Jesus did: filled with the Holy Spirit, we answer Satan’s seductive lies by shining the light of God’s truth upon them. If we are ignorant of God’s truth, we are poorly armed in the fight against temptation.

This is a really informative verse by verse commentary. It certainly provoked a lot of thought for me personally. I think that's one nice reason to dive into commentary occasionally. Here's the link:

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-4/

Bible Ref Commentary

I like to include a link to this commentary site because it provides a good summary view. Whilst not the level of detail available from the verse by verse commentaries, it's helpful as a sounding board to clarify that we come away from a chapter with the basics.

Here, is a snippet of clarity on why they rejected Jesus in Nazareth.

At least one town does not approve His message: Nazareth, Jesus' childhood hometown. While visiting there, Jesus reads aloud from Isaiah. The prophecy indicates that Messiah will bring rescue, healing, and good news. When Jesus claims to be the fulfillment of this prophecy, His former neighbors react with skepticism. In their eyes, Jesus is nothing more than another Nazarene—He can't possibly be anything special (Luke 4:14–22).

Alongside rejecting that the son of a local carpenter could be the Messiah, they are further angered when Jesus points out that God will look to the gentiles. Jesus is telling his neighbours that they will miss the opportunity to receive God's blessings.

He notes that at times God would withhold miracles from Israel, and instead perform them for Gentiles: non-Jewish persons (Luke 4:23–27).

Whilst reading, I did wonder why people were bringing the sick to Jesus after sunset. I'd forgotten that it was the Sabbath and that the Jews had a different notion of the end of one day and the beginning of the next. Jewish custom is that a day ends when the sun sets.

Since this happens on a Sabbath, people wait until sundown—which marks the start of the next day—to bring sick and afflicted people to Jesus.

It's a nice summary of Luke Chapter 4. To read it, follow the link:

https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/4/Luke-chapter-4.html

Blue Letter Bible Commentary

This is a very detailed verse by verse commentary for those who want to fully consider the chapter in depth. There's some good context around the temptation of Christ. I don't usually read all of this commentary, I confess that I skim through it. I like to include a link as a sign post to it as a potentially useful resource. You may have a questions and if so, there is a good chance you'll find an answer in this commentary. If you asked me a question, it would be one of a few places I would look for an answer.

I did find something that touched me. I was touched by the reminder that Jesus still has power over our sickness today. There is a tender reminder that we should pray for our loved ones who are sick in the knowledge that Jesus can bestow His Grace and Mercy in answer to our prayers. Just as He did for Simon's Mother-In law when asked.

Jesus can cure any sickness, regardless of how great that sickness is.

Christ had, and still has, a sovereign power over bodily diseases: He rebuked the fever, and with a word's speaking commanded it away, and it left her. He saith to diseases, Go, and they go; Come, and they come; and can still rebuke fevers, even great fevers.

Scrolling to the very end of this commentary, I found a lovely reminder that Jesus is always with us, anywhere in the World when one of two of us gather in His Holy name.

It is well for us that our Lord Jesus has not tied himself to any one place or people, but, wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he will be in the midst of them: and even in Galilee of the Gentiles his special presence is in the Christian synagogues.

If you would like to read this commentary, follow the link:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_004.cfm

Thank you for reading along! Until next time, I pray God's blessings upon you ❤️